A surfer rides a wave just after sunrise at The Wedge in Newport Beach early Friday morning, July 6, 2018. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A body boarder gets some air off a large wave at The Wedge in Newport Beach early Friday morning, July 6, 2018. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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A surfer picks up his broken surf board at The Wedge in Newport Beach early Friday morning, July 6, 2018. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A body boarder gets inverted while riding a wave at The Wedge in Newport Beach early Friday morning, July 6, 2018. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A surfer gets caught in a breaking wave at The Wedge in Newport Beach early Friday morning, July 6, 2018. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A body boarder jumps into the water just after sunrise at The Wedge in Newport Beach early Friday morning, July 6, 2018. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A surfer comes out of a tube while riding a wave at The Wedge in Newport Beach early Friday morning, July 6, 2018. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A surfer looks back at a large breaking wave at The Wedge in Newport Beach early Friday morning, July 6, 2018. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A sign warns visitors of the high surf at The Wedge in Newport Beach early Friday morning, July 6, 2018. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A surfer makes his way into the water just south of the Newport Beach Pier in Newport Beach early Friday morning, July 6, 2018. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A body boarder gets some air at The Wedge in Newport Beach early Friday morning, July 6, 2018. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A body boarder stays in front of a large wave at The Wedge in Newport Beach early Friday morning, July 6, 2018. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A surfer comes out of a tube while riding a wave at The Wedge in Newport Beach early Friday morning, July 6, 2018. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A crowd gathers as surfers and body boarders take advantage of a large swell to ride the waves at The Wedge in Newport Beach early Friday morning, July 6, 2018. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A surfer rides a wave just after sunrise at The Wedge in Newport Beach early Friday morning, July 6, 2018. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A surfer comes out of a tube while riding a wave at The Wedge in Newport Beach early Friday morning, July 6, 2018. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A body boarder gets some air at The Wedge in Newport Beach early Friday morning, July 6, 2018. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Surfers make their way into the water just south of the Newport Beach Pier in Newport Beach early Friday morning, July 6, 2018. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A surfer rides the lip of a wave just south of the Newport Beach Pier in Newport Beach early Friday morning, July 6, 2018. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A surfer rides into a breaking wave at The Wedge in Newport Beach early Friday morning, July 6, 2018. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A surfer cuts back on a wave just south of the Newport Beach Pier in Newport Beach early Friday morning, July 6, 2018. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A swell brought to Southern California by Hurricane Fabio dropped in size quickly, Friday, but there was still plenty of energy in the water to keep lifeguards busy as crowds flocked to the beach to beat the heat.

Waves on Thursday reached 10-foot along some stretches of coast, but the swell peaked overnight and by Friday waves were in the 3- to 5-foot range at south-facing beaches.

The smaller surf, however, can be even more hazardous to beachgoers unfamiliar with the ocean.

“It’s not the size that would intimidate, as much as the bigger waves,” Panis said. “The caution is, there’s still a lot of water moving. Those rip currents are strong. Combined with the heat wave, it’s keeping us busy.”

Panis expects to stay busy through the weekend as strong surf and heat continues. Surf is still expected to be in the 3- to 5-foot range Saturday before dropping to 3- to 4-foot on Sunday, according to Surfline.com.

“We’re still supposed to be hot tomorrow, still in the triple digits inland and lower 90s in Huntington Beach,” Panis said Friday. “People are going to want to go to the beach and cool off. Check with a lifeguard before going out; there’s treacherous rip currents out there.”

Laylan Connelly started as a journalist in 2002 after earning a degree in journalism from the University of Southern California. Through the years, she has covered several cities for The Orange County Register, starting as a beat reporter in Irvine before focusing on coastal cities such as Newport Beach, Dana Point and Laguna Beach. In 2007, she was selected for a prestigious Knight New Media fellowship focusing on digital media at UC Berkeley, where she learned skills to adapt to the ever-changing online landscape. Using a web-based approach, she turned her love for the ocean into a full-time gig as the paper’s beaches reporter. The unique beat allows her to delve into coastal culture by covering everything from the countless events dotting the 42 miles of coastline, to the business climate of the surf industry, to the fascinating wildlife that shows up on the shores. Most importantly, she takes pride in telling stories of the people who make the beaches so special, whether they are surfers using the ocean to heal, or the founders of major surf brands who helped spawn an entire culture, or people who tirelessly fight to keep the coast pristine and open for all to enjoy. She’s a world traveler who loves to explore the slopes during winter months or exotic surf spots around the globe. When she’s not working, or maybe while she's researching a story, you can find her longboarding at her favorite surf spots at San Onofre or Doheny.